Our Favorite Spots for Cocktails in Downtown Dallas

After a long, hard workday, sometimes nothing sounds better
than a refreshing cocktail to unwind and relax. Whether you’re looking for hard-to-beat
happy hour pricing or the perfect swanky lounge to impress your out-of-town guests,
these bars and restaurants in Downtown Dallas deliver with their delicious
concoctions.

For those looking to be especially fancy, there is no better
place to grab a cocktail downtown than Midnight
Rambler. This craft
cocktail salon, located inside the iconic Joule Hotel on Main Street, embodies
all things hipster swank. The drinks may not be cheap — most are about $14 — but
they sure are delicious, with both savory and sweet options to suit every
palate. One of the most popular is the “Hot Buttered Soul,” which combines
brown butter bourbon, pecan orgeat, lemon, cassia and cayenne pepper for
a distinctively warm finish. This bar is open until 2 a.m., seven days a week,
and complimentary valet (up to 90 minutes) is also available, so you don’t need
to worry about parking.

If you want something more causal, head to Frankie’s Downtown. Also located on Main
Street, this sports bar has long been racking up accolades, having been named Best
Sports Bar and Best Happy Hour by D Magazine in recent years. With 44 flat
screen TVs, there’s no bad seat in the place, and the cocktails aren’t anything
to scoff at either. Happy Hour is held weekdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and all day
on Tuesdays, and includes plenty of discounted classic cocktails like $5 Moscow
Mules and $5 French 75s. If you’re looking for a special drink, head downstairs
to the speakeasy lounge, The
Underground, where you’ll find plenty of craft cocktails and live music.

Do you have friends or family visiting from out of town?
Head to 3Eleven Kitchen &
Cocktails, another popular downtown drinking spot. This
farm-to-table restaurant has a prime location in the West End Historic District
and recently received a 2019 Diner’s Choice Award from Open
Table. One glance at the cocktail menu, and you’ll notice its distinct tie to 3Eleven’s
location, with drink names containing specific nods to nearby history-making
spots. Try “Oswald
or Was It” or “Stroll Through the Grassy Knoll,” the latter of which is a floral
cocktail that combines gin, elderflower liqueur, lavender reduction, lemon
juice and club soda.

Last up, it’s hard to mention the word “cocktail” in
Dallas without also mentioning Parliament,
the plush, dimly lit lounge located on Allen Street in the State Thomas neighborhood
of Uptown. Simply hop on the free McKinney Avenue Trolley or spring for the $5
Uber, and this bar, just a few minutes north of downtown, will deliver on all of
your cocktail dreams. Open from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., Monday through Saturday, Parliament
offers a whopping 100-plus craft cocktails, and it’s common to find this place
packed with drink aficionados most days of the week. It’s also considered one
of the best happy hours in the city, with $4 to $7 cocktails served from 5 to 8
p.m. and any time it rains.

Which bar or restaurant do you think has the best cocktails
in Downtown Dallas? Share your recommendations with us (plus your favorite
drink on the menu!) on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.